The Bryant and Stratton College softball squad is already gearing up for the upcoming season. Last season, the Bobcats finished with a 13-32 record on the year, and head coach Dean Herman foresees a drastic upswing from those numbers in the coming year.

"We have some really good transfer students that are coming in at semester that I believe could be extremely beneficial to our team this year,"  noted Coach Herman in an interview. "I'm also really looking forward to our improved defense. Last year we let some of those games slip away with our defensive lapses, and I believe that we are a lot more sound defensively."

Along with the bolstered defense, the Bobcats have also brought in new pitching coach Marquea Goike, who will look to improve upon the Bobcats' pitching performances. Last year, the Bobcats gave up 16 home runs and a .371 BAA (batting average against) on the season. Goike has improved the speed and spotting of the pitching roster in the off-season, and this is one of the key areas of improvement for the Bobcats. The Bobcats will also see the return of pitcher Audrey Hendrickson to further solidify the Bobcats' defensive improvements. Hendrickson is returning from an ACL tear, and has been cleared over the past several weeks to resume to full action. Sophomore Brianna Zook will also look to build upon a successful campaign. Zook led the team with 21 walks on the season along with an impressive .596 slugging percentage and .452 on base percentage.

The Bobcats will see several key matchups in the region over the course of the season. The predominant matchup will be against Madison College in the season opener on March 7th. Madison College is the heavy favorite to win the region this season, and this game will be a great measuring stick for the Bobcat improvements in the early season. Rock Valley College is another major matchup, happening on April 23rd. Rock Valley College has won 6 consecutive titles at the Division III level and will be a great test for the Bobcats. In the new playoff format in effect this year, the #2, #4, #6, and #8 seeds will go to the other side of the region, allowing the Bobcats to be prepared in the event they land an even seed by the end of the season.

In just the third season of the program, the Bobcat softball team will look to continue to improve, and there is no reason to believe a different outcome in the upcoming season. The Bobcats kick off their season on March 7th 2020 against Madison College at the Rosemont Dome in Rosemont, Illinois.